The present invention relates to a dripproof connector for use in the room of an automobile and, more particularly, to a dripproof connector structure that maintains watertightness without using any packing or rubber.
When the interior of an automobile is dehumidified or cooled by an air conditioner, air vents in the interior of the automobile sometimes become covered with water due to condensation and such water sequentially drops. When a connector for connecting electrical cables is disposed at a place on which waterdrops fall down, the connector is wetted by these waterdrops. If the waterdrops enter into the connector, electric corrosion occurs between the connection terminals, which damages the terminals.
To overcome problems of this type, a connector is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Sho. 56-57486. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of this connector; and FIG. 7 is a sectional view thereof. This connector is formed of a male connector 59 and a female connector 61, each having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 55, 57 for accommodating connection terminals 51, 53 interposing an appropriate space S therebetween. The female connector 61 has an insertion groove 65 formed in a frame 63 enclosing the terminal accommodating chambers 55 at a front half portion of the terminal accommodating chambers 55, and a waterdrop discharging hole 67 is arranged in the bottom of the groove. On the other hand, the male connector housing 59 has an insertion frame 69 at a front opening end of the terminal accommodating chambers 57, the insertion frame corresponding to the insertion groove 65.
As a result of this construction, even if waterdrops deposit on the inside of the connector, the waterdrops can be discharged swiftly from the discharge hole 67, thus preventing electric corrosion due to leakage of current at the contacts between the connection terminals.
However, although this construction is advantageous in discharging dews formed inside the connector, no measure against water entering into the connector along electrical cables 71, 73 is provided. As a result, it is likely that waterdrops will reach the contacts along the electrical cables 71, 73, thus imposing a problem of inadequate reliability in preventing electric corrosion.